Lightning-conductor.



No. 852,548. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

' ,W. P. FINN.

LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR. APPLICATION FILED 00129. 1906.

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INVENTOH WITNESSES THE mmms PETERS co., wasnmcrorl, n. c.

No. 852,548. v PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

w. P. FINN. LIGHTNING counnoroa.

APPLICATION FILED 001229. 1906. I

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INVENTOH' WITNESSES In W6. 8)

A 7'TOHNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LIGHTNING-CONDUCTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

- Ap licati fil d October 29,1906. Serial No. 340,985.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. FINN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dansville, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning- Conductors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

.lWIy invention relates to improvements in lightning conductors and arresters, and particularly to devices of thisclass designed and adapted to be used in the protection of dwellings and other buildings.

One feature of my invention consists in arranging the conductors so that they form a series of loops, the conductors extending from earth to earth and being of high conductivity. This system may be called the loop system and it furnishes a path of easy discharge for the lightning.

Another feature of my invention is that the conductors are free from any sharp points which would serve to attract the lightning. Should the lightning come in close proximity to the building, it is furnished with a direct, non-tortuous path of high conductivity to earth; and since the conductors extend from earth to earth, any oscillatory discharge is furnished a path of slight resistance. My object is not to attract the lightning but to avoid such attraction; at the same time means are provided for leading the lightning to earth in case it comes into dangerous proximity to the building.

A third feature of my invention is the provision of means for insulating the conductors from the metal parts of the building, as the pipes which extend up beyond the roof from the plumbing system, the metal roof itself in those cases in which the roof is made of metal, the gutters and leaders.

A fourth feature of my invention is the avoidance of angles, joints, splices, twisted wires and the like which tend to destroy the continuity of the conductor.

A fifth object or feature of my invention is to provide means for insulating the conductors from the building.

The conductors are secured to insulators mounted on brackets which are adjustable for roofs of different pitch; and the brackets are so arranged as to avoid angles and sharp turns. Thus, in the loop system, the building is entirely insulated from the wiring, which has no attracting points but which forms a direct and easy path to earth in case the lightning should come into dangerous proximity to the building. The conductors are secured to a ground plate set deep into the earth.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 shows my new loop system applied to a dwelling house; Fig. 2 illustrates the same system applied to a barn; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of my new loop system; Fig. 4 shows the ground connection for the conductors; Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 illustrate details hereinafter referred to.

The conductors a are made of heavy wire of high conductivity and extend along the ridge of the house and then loop over the ends of the building, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Loops also extend down the sides of the build ing, thereby inclosing the building in a system of loops, such as is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the conductors are suitably secured, as by soldering, to a galvanized iron plate I) which is secured to a pipe 0, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The plate b is buried in the ground at a suitable depth, say, four feet, and the pipe extends downward for another four feet or more. The conductors a are tied to the glass insulators d by wires 0 of the same size and material as the conductors themselves; and the glass insulators are mounted 011 top of the standards f, g (Figs. 5, 6 and 7). The standard is braced by the legs 7L which are secured to the roof at their lower end and are held by the clamp i at their upper end, the bolts passing through the bolt-holes j and the standard f passing through the opening 7c (Fig. 9). Fig. 9 is a plan view and Fig. 10 a side view of the clamp t, which is made up of the clamp-plates m held together by the clamping bolts 7'. By

- this arrangement of parts the building is effectually insulated from the conductors and the brackets made up of the standard f and the legs h are adapted for use upon a roof of any pitch and serve to raise the conductors above the metal parts, such as the vent-pipes, leaders, gutters and other parts which may be connected with the plumbing system. The bracket or standard 9 extends out from the eaves and obviates the making of a sharp turn at this point by the conductor.

I claim:

A system of lightning conductors which extend in the form of loops from earth to earth over the building, free from points and my hand in the presence of two Witnesses at sharp angles; and insulatii'ig devices which said Dansville this twe11ty-fourth day of Oehold said conductors above all parts 01 the tober, 1906.

roof of the building, and Which are adjustable WILLIAM P. FINN. t0 fit different pitches of roof and to keep said l/Vitnesses: conductors free from points and sharp angles. BERTRAND G. FOSS,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set HILDA A. KREIN. 

